Fifth wheel hitch with latching system

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates generally to a fifth wheel hitch and, more particularly, to a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that is viewable to a user. In another instance, the present disclosure relates to a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that permits a user to restrict movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least two different planes of motion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority to U.S. Provisional Patent App. No.62/785,306 entitled “FIFTH WHEEL HITCH WITH LATCHING SYSTEM” and filedon Dec. 27, 2018 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a fifth wheel hitch and,more particularly, to a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system. Inanother instance, the present disclosure relates to a fifth wheel hitchhaving a latching system that permits a user to restrict movement of thefifth wheel hitch in at least two different planes of motion.

BACKGROUND

The towing industry has developed a number of methods and apparatusesfor securing a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle. One particularlyprevalent towing apparatus is a fifth wheel hitch. The fifth wheel hitchis normally positioned in a load bed of a towing vehicle and securedeither to the load bed or directly to the frame of the towing vehicle. Afifth wheel trailer typically includes a king pin that operativelycouples the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle.

Fifth wheel hitches may normally be arranged such that the king pin isaligned over or near the rear axle and approximately equidistant betweenthe rear wheels of the towing vehicle. Placing the king pin over therear axle may also provide for sufficient clearance between the frontedge of the trailer and the rear edge of the towing vehicle cabin whenstandard sized towing and towed vehicle are involved.

However, there are more towing vehicles on the market that includeextended cabs having an expanded interior cargo volume. These extendedcab towing vehicles, however, are typically built on a standardwheelbase chassis. This results in the load bed being shorter thanstandard towing vehicles. These shorter load beds result in the towingvehicles not having sufficient clearance between the axle and the rearof the cab to allow the towed vehicle to pivot appropriately.

Various fifth wheel hitches are available that permit movement in atleast one plane of motion, such as forward and backward relative to thelong direction of the bed of the towing vehicle. Such fifth wheelhitches generally use a sliding base that requires the operator to exitthe towing vehicle, unlock the base, lock the brakes on the towedvehicle and pull the towing vehicle forward. This temporarily moves thepivot point rearward so that the towed vehicle can pivot relative to thetowing vehicle. However, before resuming normal operation, the operatormust lock the towed vehicle brakes, back the towing vehicle towards thetowed vehicle, again exit the towing vehicle and lock the sliding hitch.

Additionally, fifth wheel hitches are available that are positionable inorder to maintain the appropriate operative position of the towedvehicle relative to the towing vehicle that is robust, easy to maintainand does not require operator intervention.

However, to date the various fifth wheel hitches available lack asuitable latching system that permits an operator to ascertain withgreater ease the state of the latching system and/or to operate suchlatching system with improved ease while achieving restriction of motionof the fifth wheel hitch in at least one, or even two or more, planes ofmotion.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to a fifth wheel hitch and,more particularly, to a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system. Inanother instance, the present disclosure relates to a fifth wheel hitchhaving a latching system that permits a user to restrict movement of thefifth wheel hitch in at least two different planes of motion.

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least one plane of motion.

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least two planes of motion.

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least one plane of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least one arcedlatching member on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least two planes of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least one arcedlatching member on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least one plane of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least two arcedlatching members on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least two planes of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least two arcedlatching members on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

Also, provided is a fifth wheel hitch assembly comprising a fifth wheelhead configured to engage a towed vehicle, a carriage member attached tosaid fifth wheel head, a frame configured to be attached to a towingvehicle, said frame including at least one locating rail wherein saidcarriage is moveable along the locating rail. A latching systempositioned along the frame that is configured to restrict the movementof the carriage relative to the frame. Said carriage member may includea first sliding tower spaced from a second sliding tower and said frameincludes a first locator rail spaced from and generally perpendicular toa second locator rail wherein said first sliding tower is movablyattached to the first locating rail and the second sliding tower ismovably attached to said second locator rail. The latching system mayinclude at least one latching finger configured to be selectivelyengaged with at least one receptacle positioned along the carriagemember, the latching system is in a locked positioned when the latchingfinger is engaged to the receptacle and is in an unlocked position whenthe latching finger is not engaged to the receptacle, wherein movementof the carriage member relative to the frame is restricted along atleast a first plane of motion when the latching system is in the lockedposition. The at least one receptacle may be located along an exposedsurface of the carriage member to allow a user to view said latchingfinger in the locked position. The latching system may further comprisea plurality of latch fingers positioned along a control bar. Theplurality of latch fingers positioned along the control bar may includea first latch finger and a second latch finger positioned along eitherside of said locator rail and a third latch finger and a fourth latchfinger positioned along either side of a second locator rail spaced fromsaid locator rail.

The at least one latch finger may be shaped in an arched configurationand the at least one receptacle may include a generally complementaryshape to the at least one latch finger. A latch control handle may beattached to a control bar and be configured to pivot the control bar andthe at least one latch finger relative to the at least one receptaclepositioned along the carriage member. The latching handle may comprise asecondary lockable safety mechanism. An extension handle may beconfigured to be attached to and extend from the latch control handle toallow a user to pivot the control bar from the extension handle. Theframe may further comprise at least one set of a threaded eye bolt andnut configured to facilitate structural attachment to at least one railpositioned along a vehicle wherein the set of said threaded eye bolt andsaid nut are configured to prevent rattle, movement and/or noise from afifth wheel hitch. The control bar may be attached to a biasing memberthat is configured to be spring loaded in a direction which will forcethe at least one latch fingers to pivot towards or otherwise engage withthe at least one latch receptacle. A retaining spring may be configuredto selectively engage the at least one latching finger to prevent saidat least one latching finger from re-engaging with one or morereceptacles such that the carriage member is free to move relative tothe frame when the retaining spring is engaged to the at least onelatching finger. The retaining spring may comprise a spring portion, anengagement surface, and a depressible portion wherein the spring portionmay be configured to provide a bias force to position the engagementsurface towards the latch finger. The engagement surface may beconfigured to selectively abut against an end of the latch finger toprevent the latch finger from pivoting towards the respectivereceptacle. The depressible portion may be configured to be manuallydepressed by a user to disengage the engagement surface from the latchfinger to allow the latch finger to be pivoted or otherwise engage withthe respective receptacle.

In another embodiment, provided is a fifth wheel hitch assemblycomprising a fifth wheel head configured to engage a towing vehicle, acarriage member attached to said fifth wheel head, a frame configured tobe attached to a towing vehicle, said frame including at least onelocating rail wherein said carriage is moveable along the locating railand a latching system. The latching system may be positioned along theframe and be configured to restrict the movement of the carriagerelative to the frame. Said latching system comprising at least onelatching finger configured to be selectively engaged with at least onereceptacle positioned along the carriage member, a control barconfigured to pivot the at least one latching finger to selectivelyengage the at least one receptacle and a latch control handle attachedto said control bar configured to pivot the control bar and the at leastone latch finger relative to the at least one receptacle. The latchingsystem may be in a locked positioned when the latching finger is engagedto the receptacle and is in an unlocked position when the latchingfinger is not engaged to the receptacle. Movement of the carriage memberrelative to the frame may be restricted along at least a first plane ofmotion when the latching system is in the locked position. The at leastone receptacle may be located along an exposed surface of the carriagemember to allow a user to view said latching finger in the lockedposition. The at least one latch finger may be shaped in an archedconfiguration and the at least one receptacle includes a generallycomplementary shape as the at least one latch finger. An extensionhandle may be attached to and extend from the latch control handle toallow a user to pivot the control bar from the extension handle. Thecontrol bar may be attached to a biasing member and may be configured tobe spring loaded in a direction which will force the at least one latchfingers to pivot towards or otherwise engage with the at least one latchreceptacle. A retaining spring may be configured to selectively preventthe at least one latching finger from re-engaging with the at least onereceptacle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Operation of the present teachings may be better understood by referenceto the detailed description taken in connection with the followingillustrations. These appended drawings form part of this specification,and written information in the drawings should be treated as part ofthis disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic rolling fifth wheel hitchselectively secured with a load bed of a towing vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of a base frame and trolley of theautomatic rolling fifth wheel hitch;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a trolley of the automatic rolling fifthwheel hitch;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base frame of the automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch;

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded view of a portion of the automaticrolling fifth wheel hitch;

FIG. 8 is a top view of embodiments of a cam plate;

FIG. 9 is a top view of embodiments of a cam plate;

FIG. 10 is a top view of embodiments of a cam plate;

FIG. 11 is a graphical representation of change of angle versus traveldistance for a cam path of the cam plate of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a graphical representation of change of angle versus traveldistance for a cam path of the cam plate of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a graphical representation of change of angle versus traveldistance for a cam path of the cam plate of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of embodiments of an automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch;

FIG. 15 is a partially exploded view of a base frame and trolley of theautomatic rolling fifth wheel hitch; and

FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch ofFIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a side perspective view of a fifth wheel hitch according toone embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a cross-section view of one set of latch fingers one side ofthe sliding carriage portion of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure, where the latch fingers areengaged with, or locked into, one set of back latch receptacles, wherethe latch finger control bar is spring loaded in a direction which willforce the one or more latch fingers to engage with one or morerespective latch receptacles;

FIG. 19 is a cross-section view of one set of latch fingers one side ofthe sliding carriage portion of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure, where the latch fingers aredisengaged from, or unlocked from, one set of back latch receptacles andprevented from re-engaging with one or more respective latch receptaclesvia a hold down spring, where the latch finger control bar is springloaded in a direction which will force the one or more latch fingers toengage with one or more respective latch receptacles;

FIG. 20 is a cross-section view of one set of latch fingers one side ofthe sliding carriage portion of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure, where the latch fingers aredisengaged from, or unlocked from, one set of back latch receptacles andwhere sliding carriage has been moved slight forward on its locatorrails which disengages a hold down spring and permits one or more latchfingers to auto engage with one or more respective latch receptacleseach latch finger encounters, where the latch finger control bar isspring loaded in a direction which will force the one or more latchfingers to engage with one or more respective latch receptacles;

FIG. 21 is a cross-section view of one set of latch fingers one side ofthe sliding carriage portion of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure, where the latch fingers areengaged with, or locked into, one set of forward latch receptacles,where the latch finger control bar is spring loaded in a direction whichwill force the one or more latch fingers to engage with one or morerespective latch receptacles;

FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of a fifth wheel hitch according toone embodiment of the present disclosure illustrating a fifth wheelslider hitch where such a hitch is engaged into a “puck” attachment of atruck (or other suitable vehicle);

FIG. 23 is a side view of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 24 is a close-up illustration of a safety latch on a latch controlhandle of the present disclosure, where the safety latch is in theclosed position;

FIG. 25 is a close-up illustration of a safety latch on a latch controlhandle of the present disclosure, where the safety latch is in the openposition;

FIG. 26 is a close-up illustration of a safety latch on a latch controlhandle of the present disclosure, where the safety latch is in the openposition and the latch handle is in the up unlatched position; and

FIG. 27 is a close-up illustration of an optional reach handle that isdesigned for tall sided trucks and/or short people so that this designcan permit an individual to easily unlatch the slider.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent teachings, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand structural and functional changes may be made without departing fromthe respective scope of the present teachings. As such, the followingdescription is presented by way of illustration only and should notlimit in any way the various alternatives and modifications that may bemade to the illustrated embodiments and still be within the spirit andscope of the present teachings.

As used herein, the words “example” and “exemplary” mean an instance, orillustration. The words “example” or “exemplary” do not indicate a keyor preferred aspect or embodiment. The word “or” is intended to beinclusive rather an exclusive, unless context suggests otherwise. As anexample, the phrase “A employs B or C,” includes any inclusivepermutation (e.g., A employs B; A employs C; or A employs both B and C).As another matter, the articles “a” and “an” are generally intended tomean “one or more” unless context suggest otherwise.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments maybe utilized and structural and functional changes may be made withoutdeparting from the respective scope of the disclosure. Moreover,features of the various embodiments may be combined or altered withoutdeparting from the scope of the disclosure. As such, the followingdescription is presented by way of illustration only and should notlimit in any way the various alternatives and modifications that may bemade to the illustrated embodiments and still be within the spirit andscope of the disclosure.

The present disclosure relates generally to a fifth wheel hitch and,more particularly, to a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system. Inanother instance, the present disclosure relates to a fifth wheel hitchhaving a latching system that permits a user to restrict movement of thefifth wheel hitch in at least two different planes of motion.

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least one plane of motion.

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least two planes of motion.

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least one plane of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least one arcedlatching member on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least two planes of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least one arcedlatching member on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least one plane of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least two arcedlatching members on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

In one embodiment, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosurecomprises a fifth wheel hitch having a latching system that restrictsthe movement of the fifth wheel hitch in at least two planes of motion,where the fifth wheel latching system comprises at least two arcedlatching members on either side of the fifth wheel hitch (i.e., the leftand right sides of the fifth wheel hitch when viewed from the rear ofthe hitch or vehicle in which the hitch is installed).

Turning to a first embodiment of a fifth wheel hitch as described inU.S. Pat. No. 9,511,804, the full disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety herein, a suitable fifth wheelhitch for incorporation of a latching system in accordance with thepresent disclosure is described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 16.

Turning to FIGS. 1 through 3, an automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100is shown therein. The automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 may attachto a load bed 104 of a towing vehicle 108 in any appropriate manner. Byway of a non-limiting example, a pair of rail members 112 may beselectively attached to the load bed 104 in any appropriate manner,including, without limitation utilizing fasteners, securement devices orthe like. The rail members 112 may extend transversely across the loadbed 104 as shown in FIG. 1. The rail members 112 may be configured toattach a standard fifth wheel hitch as well as the automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch 100 or may be specifically configured for theautomatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100. The automatic rolling fifthwheel hitch 100 may be selectively attached to the rail members 112 inany appropriate manner; such as by way of a non-limiting example viafasteners (not shown). Any appropriate configuration of fasteners may beused—the present teachings are not limited to a specific configurationof fasteners.

The automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 may include a base frame 120selectively secured to the rail members 112. The base frame 120 mayinclude at least one bracket 124, including, without limitation twopairs of brackets 124 attached thereto. The brackets 124 may attach withthe rail members 112 through the use of fasteners (not shown).Specifically, each of the brackets 124 may include a leg 128 attachedthereto in any appropriate manner, including, without limitation beingintegrally formed therewith. The legs 128 may be insertable into therail members 112. Fasteners may then be inserted into and through thelegs 128 and rail members 112 selectively securing the automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch 100 with the rail members 112 and the load bed 104 ofthe towing vehicle 108. This arrangement may make it easy to remove theautomatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 when not needed.

The automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 may include a trolley 132operatively engaged with the base frame 120 as described in more detailbelow. The automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 may further include afifth wheel head 136 pivotally attached with the trolley 132. The fifthwheel head 136 may be of any appropriate configuration such that a kingpin of a towed vehicle may operatively engage with the fifth wheel head136 resulting in the towing vehicle 108 being capable of towing thetowed vehicle. By way of a non-limiting example, the fifth wheel head136 may be of a configuration as shown and described in any one of: U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/190,878 (Publication No. 20120018979)entitled “Fifth Wheel Hitch Isolation System,” filed Jul. 26, 2011; U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/190,919 (Publication No. 20120018978)entitled, “Fifth Wheel Hitch Retention System,” filed Jul. 26, 2011; andU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/191,009 (Publication No.20120018977) entitled “Fifth Wheel Hitch Skid Plate Cover,” filed Jul.26, 2011, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Further,the fifth wheel head 136 may be of a configuration as shown anddescribed in all of the applications incorporated by referenceimmediately above. However, the present teachings are not limited tothese disclosed configurations of the fifth wheel head 136. Anyappropriate configuration may be used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the fifth wheel head 136 may be pivotally attachedwith the trolley 132 through use of a pivot shaft 140. The fifth wheelhead 136 may be attached with the pivot shaft 140 in any appropriatemanner. By way of a non-limiting example, the fifth wheel head 136 maybe attached with the pivot shaft 140 through the use of fasteners,welding, or the like. The fifth wheel head 136 attached with the pivotshaft 140 may result in the fifth wheel head 136 being pivotable withrespect to the base frame 120. The pivoting of the fifth wheel head 136may allow the towed vehicle to pivot with respect to the towing vehicle108 during operation. Therefore, as the towing vehicle 108 turns, thefifth wheel head 136 may pivot independently of the towing vehicle 108.This may permit the towed vehicle to turn more efficiently andeffectively.

As shown in FIG. 6, the base frame 120 may include a pair of end rails146 and a pair of longitudinally extending rails 150. The rails 146, 150may be operatively secured together to form the base frame 120. By wayof a non-limiting example, fasteners 154 may be utilized to secure therails 146, 150 together. The present teachings, however, are not limitedto the use of fasteners 154. The rails 146, 150 may be attached such asthrough welding, being monolithically formed together, welded, orotherwise adhered together. The longitudinally extending rails 150 mayeach have a generally C-shaped cross sectional shape such that they eachinclude a channel 158. The channel 158 may be of a shape and size topermit rolling engagement of the trolley 132 with the base frame 120.

The base frame 120 may further include a cam plate 162 attached to thebase frame 120 in any appropriate manner. By way of a non-limitingexample, the cam plate 162 may be attached to an underside 166 of thelongitudinal rails 150 such as through the use of fasteners, welding orthe like. The cam plate 162 may include a cam path 170 formed therein.The cam path 170 may be formed as a monolithic unit with the cam plate162 or may be formed therein through a subsequent operation.

As shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the cam path 170 may be generallynon-linear. The cam path 170 being non-linear may permit the fifth wheelhead 136 to move rearward further within the same angular turn betweenthe towed and towing vehicle 108 during operation of the automaticrolling fifth wheel hitch 100. By way of a non-limiting example, thenon-linear cam path 170 may be formed from a plurality of linear pathsintegrated together to form the non-linear cam path 170. The non-linearcam path 170 may also be formed as an arcuate or semi-circular path.

As shown in FIG. 8, the cam path 170 may include two first paths orportions 175 that both extend in a generally angular direction from acenter section 177. First portions may be generally symmetrical aboutcenterline 181. The cam path 170 may also include second paths orportions 179 that may extend in a generally angular direction from endsof each first paths 175. These second portions 179 may extend at adifferent angle than the first portions 175 relative to centerline 181.By way of a non-limiting example, the first portions 175 may extend at agreater angle from a centerline 181 of the cam plate 162 than the secondportions 179. In some embodiments, the second portions 179 may also begenerally symmetrical one another, but the present teachings are notlimited to such. In operation, the second portions 179 may provide adifferent rate of movement of trolley 132 as the towing vehicle 108pivots relative to the towed vehicle as explained in more detail below.First and second portions 175, 179 may each be generally linear portions(i.e., each may extend in a generally continuous angular directionrelative to centerline 181).

As shown in FIG. 9, the cam path 170 may include two generally arcuateportions 183. The arcuate portions 183 may extend at any appropriaterelative angle from the centerline 185. By way of a non-limitingexample, the arcuate portions 183 may be in a generally concave shape asshown in FIG. 9. The arcuate portions 183 may be symmetrical relative toone another. As the cam path 170 extends at an arcuately downward angle,end portions 187 of the cam path are at a different relative angle tothe centerline 185 than top portions thereof. The curvature of arcuateportions 183 may provide a different rate of movement of trolley 132 asthe towing vehicle 108 pivots relative to the towed vehicle as explainedin more detail below.

As shown in FIG. 10, cam path 170 may include two generally arcuateportions 191. The arcuate portions 191 may extend at any appropriaterelative angle from the centerline 193. By way of a non-limitingexample, the arcuate portions 191 may be in a generally convex shape.The arcuate portions 191 may be symmetrical relative to one another. Asthe cam path 170 extends at an arcuately downward angle, end portions195 of the cam path are at a different relative angle to the centerline193 than top portions thereof. The curvature of arcuate portions 183 mayprovide a different rate of movement of trolley 132 as the towingvehicle 108 pivots relative to the towed vehicle as explained in moredetail below.

The trolley 132 may be shaped and sized to generally extend between thelongitudinally extending rails 150 and may include a portion of whichthat extends within the channel 158. More specifically, the trolley 132may include a body 174 that may be shaped and sized to extend betweenthe longitudinally extending rails 150 of the base frame 120. Thetrolley 132 may include a plurality of rollers or wheels 178 rotatablyattached to the body 174 in any appropriate manner. By way of anon-limiting example, four rollers 178 may be used—although anyappropriate number of rollers may be used without departing from thepresent teachings. As shown in FIG. 4, fasteners 182 may be used toattach the rollers 178 with the body 174. The present teachings,however, are not limited to use of fasteners 182. The rollers 178 may beattached with the body 174 in any appropriate manner.

The rollers 178 may be shaped and sized to operatively roll along thelongitudinally extending rails 150, or more specifically along thechannels 158 of the longitudinally extending rails 150. The rollers 178may be formed from a generally rigid material that has an effectivecoefficient of friction such that the rollers 178 may roll along thechannel 158 generally freely. Further, the rollers 178 may be of amaterial that generally prevents inappropriate wear during use of theautomatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 and is able to carry the load ofthe automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 during operation. By way ofa non-limiting example, the rollers 178 may be formed from steel, orother metal, polymer, or other plastics, or a hard rubber, or acombination of such materials.

The trolley 132 may also include guide blocks 182. The guide blocks 182may be attached to the body 174 in any appropriate manner, including,without limitation through use of fasteners 190. By way of anon-limiting example, four such guide blocks 182 may be attached withthe body 174. The guide blocks 182 may be attached with the body 174such that they are generally adjacent the rollers 178, or morespecifically extend laterally away from the rollers 178 resulting in theguide blocks 182 being positioned on or near the corners of the trolley132. The guide blocks 182 may keep a generally tight, operative fitbetween the trolley 132, or more specifically, the rollers 178 and thechannel 158. The guide blocks 182 may control the axially upward anddownward movement as well as the fore and aft movement of the trolley132. The guide blocks 182 may also help control and guide the trolley132 during operation of the automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100. Theguide blocks 182 may be formed of any appropriate material, including,without limitation, polymer or other plastics, rubber, or a combinationof such materials.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7, the channel 158 may begenerally enclosed on at least three sides with portions thereofextending downward and upward on a fourth side. This may form agenerally C-shaped cross-sectional shape. This shape of the channel 158may enclose the rollers 178 therein when operatively engaged. Thisenclosure may permit the automatic fifth wheel hitch 100, or morespecifically, the base frame 120 to be positioned generally lower in theload bed 104 of the towing vehicle 108. Prior art systems are typicallypositioned higher in the load bed. The base frame 120 being lower in theload bed 108 may result in a generally lower center of gravity for theautomatic fifth wheel hitch 100. Further, the base frame 120 may bewider than other prior art systems. The wider and lower base frame 120may allow for a tighter (i.e., more controlled movement) automatic fifthwheel hitch 100. The automatic fifth wheel hitch 100 may provideadditional control for an operator and is more efficient than otherprior art systems. Further, the automatic fifth wheel hitch 100 mayprovide a more direct load path, e.g., from top of the fifth wheel head136 to the rollers 178. The wider and lower base frame 120 may spreadthe load applied to the fifth wheel head 136 during operation down tothe trolley 132 and through to the legs 128 and ultimately to the towingvehicle 108. This may result in a more efficient and effective automaticfifth wheel hitch 100. The operation of which may be smoother and morestable than other prior art systems.

As shown in FIG. 4, once the trolley 132 has been assembled, it may beoperatively engaged with the base frame 120. Either one of the end rails146 may be removed from the base frame 120 or not otherwise attachedthereto. This may provide access between the trolley 132 and the channel158, or more specifically, the channel 158 and the rollers 178 of thetrolley 132. The trolley 132 may be rolled onto the base frame 120 suchthat the rollers 178 may freely roll within the channel 158. This mayresult in the trolley 132 being capable of rolling freely within thebase frame 120 generally between the end rails 146 during operation ofthe automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 as described in more detailbelow.

The body 174 of the trolley 132 may include an aperture 194. Theaperture 194 may be shaped and sized such that the pivot shaft 140 maybe inserted within the body 174. The pivot shaft 140 may be insertedinto the aperture 194 so that it is pivotally attached with the body174. In such embodiments, a protective ring 198 may be generally alignedwith the aperture 194 and as the pivot shaft 140 is inserted into theaperture 194, the protective ring 198 may be positioned between thepivot shaft 140 and the body 174. The protective ring 198 may be made ofany appropriate material, including, without limitation a sacrificialmaterial. Further, by way of non-limiting examples, the material mayinclude elastomer, plastic, rubber, or any combination of such. Theprotective ring 198 being positioned between the body 174 and pivotshaft 140 may generally protect either or both of the pivot shaft 140and body 174 during operation of the automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch100. Additionally, the protective ring 198 may act as a lubricant orfriction reduction surface during operation of the automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch 100.

As shown in FIG. 7, a cam follower 202 may be operatively attached withthe trolley 132. In such embodiments, a cam follower protective ring 206may be generally positioned between the cam follower 202 and the body174 of the trolley 132. The protective ring 206 may be made of anyappropriate material, including, without limitation a sacrificialmaterial. Further, by way of non-limiting examples, the material mayinclude elastomer, plastic, rubber, or any combination of such. Theprotective ring 206 may generally protect either or both of the camfollower 202 and body 174 during operation of the automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch 100 (i.e., the rotating of cam follower 202 relativeto body 174). Additionally, the protective ring 206 may act as alubricant or friction reduction surface during operation of theautomatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100. The cam follower 202 may beattached with the trolley 132 in any appropriate manner. By way of anon-limiting example, the cam follower 202 may attach with the trolley132 by a plurality of fasteners 210. Specifically, the fasteners 210 mayoperatively secure the cam follower 206 with the pivot shaft 140. Thefasteners 210 may be inserted into and connected with the trolley 132.

The cam follower 202 may include a body portion 214 and a cam portion218. The body portion 214 may be attached with the pivot shaft 140 whenit is inserted into and connected with the body 174 of the trolley 132.Therefore, as the pivot shaft 140 pivots, the cam follower 202 or morespecifically, the body portion 214 may pivot. The cam portion 218 mayinclude a contact member 222 that may be shaped and sized to operativelyfit within and engage the cam path 170. The contact member 222 mayfollow the cam path 170 during operation of the automatic fifth wheelhitch 100 and may be generally retained within the cam path 170. In thismanner, cam follower 202 is engaged with and follows cam path 170 duringoperation of automatic fifth wheel hitch 100.

In some embodiments, the automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100 mayinclude a cover 226 attached with the base frame 120. The cover 226 maygenerally encapsulates the base frame 120, trolley 132 and the cam plate162. More specifically, the cover 226 may generally encapsulate orcircumscribe the working components of the automatic rolling fifth wheelhitch 100. The cover 226 may provide an aesthetically pleasing finishfor the automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 100. The cover 226 may alsogenerally protect the working components of the automatic rolling fifthwheel hitch 100 from the elements, which may extend the life thereof andmay generally protect operative engagement between the rollers 178 andthe channel 158.

In operation, the automatic fifth wheel hitch 100 may be attached to theload bed 104 of the towing vehicle 108 as described above. A king pin(not shown) of a towed vehicle (not shown) may be operatively securedwith the fifth wheel head 136 in any appropriate manner. Onceoperatively attached, the towing vehicle 108 may be operated. At thispoint any relative rotation between the towed vehicle and the fifthwheel head 136 may be inhibited by a detent section in the cam path asdescribed below. The towed vehicle may then be towed in the normalmanner by the towing vehicle 108. When the towing vehicle 108 and thetowed vehicle encounter a turn in the road, the towed vehicle may pivotrelative the towing vehicle 108. More specifically, under suchconditions the towed vehicle may pivot relative to the trolley 134 abouta vertical axis A that generally coincides with the fifth wheel head 136and as shown in FIG. 1.

When the towed vehicle pivots relative to the towing vehicle 108, thefifth wheel head 136, pivot shaft 140 and cam follower 202 may pivotrelative to the towing vehicle 108. The fifth wheel head 136, pivotshaft 140 and cam follower 202 may all be fixedly secured with oneanother such that they may pivot in unison. The trolley 132, however,will not pivot with respect to the load bed 104 of the towing vehicle108. The cam path 170 may include a detent section 230, such as thatshown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 generally in proximity to the fore and aftcenterline 181, 185 and 193, respectively of the cam plate 162. Thedetent 230 may form a normal operating position for the cam follower202. When the towing vehicle 108 is in a normal driving operation, e.g.,when driving generally straight and aligned with the towed vehicle, thecam follower 202 or more specifically the contact member 222 may beengaged in the detent 230, i.e., it may generally be positioned in thedetent 230. The detent 230 may be curved. Detent 230 may have endportions 231 that generally maintain cam follower 202 engaged in detent230 during normal driving operation and inhibit the contact member 222and cam follower 202 from moving along the cam path 170 outside ofdetent 230. However, when the fifth wheel head 136, pivot shaft 140 andcam follower 202 may be caused to pivot, such as by the turning oftowing vehicle 108 a sufficient amount relative to the towed vehicle,the cam follower 202 may move out from the detent 230 past end portions231 and travel further along cam path 170. The distance cam follower 202moves along cam path 170 may be related to the degree of relativepivoting between the towing vehicle 108 and the towed vehicle (i.e., thedegree of relative rotation between the fifth wheel head 136 and body174).

The cam follower 202 being released from the detent 230 may generallyallow the trolley 132 to roll towards a rear portion 234 of the towingvehicle 108 as the pivot angle between the towing vehicle and the towedvehicle changes. The momentum of the trolley 132 resulting from turningof the towing vehicle 108 may allow the rollers 178 to roll along thechannel 158. This momentum may continue to roll the trolley toward therear portion 234 of the towing vehicle 108 until at least one of theguide blocks 182 engages with the end rail 146 closest to the rearportion 234 of the towing vehicle 108. As the trolley 132 rolls towardthe rear portion 234 of the towing vehicle 108, the cam follower 202 maycontinue to move along the cam path 170 toward the rear portion 234 ofthe towing vehicle 108. This may result in the fifth wheel head 136traveling in conjunction with the trolley 132 rearward toward the rearportion 234 of the towing vehicle 108. This rearward movement of thefifth wheel head 136 may generally create additional space between a cab238 of the towing vehicle 108 and the towed vehicle. This additionalspace may thereby provide sufficient room for the towed vehicle to pivotwith respect to the towing vehicle 108 without interference.

For the cam plate 162 of FIG. 8, once the cam follower 202 releases fromthe detent 230, the cam follower 202 will follow along either of thegenerally symmetrical first portions 175. The shape and configuration ofcam path 170 may determine the rate and distance that trolley 132 movesin response to relative rotation between the towing vehicle 108 and thetowed vehicle. This relation may result in the towed vehicle movingbackward at greater distance and/or at a greater rate than the prior artsystems. The different configurations of the first and second portions175, 179 may result in the trolley 132 moving at a different rate and/ordistance in response to relative rotation between the towing vehicle 108and the towed vehicle. That is, when the cam follower 202 moves fromfirst portion 175 into second portion 179 (and vice versa), the relationbetween the rate of movement and/or the distance moved of trolley 132with respect to the change of the pivot angle between the towed vehicleand towing vehicle 108 changes. In the configuration shown in FIG. 8,the rate of movement and the distance moved by trolley 132 as a functionof the change in the pivot angle is less in second portion 179 than infirst portion 175. This configuration of the cam path 170 may allow thetowed vehicle to move away from the cab 238 at a greater rate, resultingin a greater distance between the cab 238 and the towed vehicle duringthe initial phase of relative rotation between the towing vehicle 108and the towed vehicle. Depending on the shape of detent section 230 andend portions 231, the towed vehicle may experience an initial forwardmovement relative to the towing vehicle 108 as cam follower 202 movesout of the detent section 230. The movement of the trolley 132 as afunction of the change in the pivot angle is represented in the graph ofFIG. 11. As shown, the trolley may undergo a first motion A as camfollower 202 moves out of detent section 230, a second motion B as camfollower 202 moves along first portion 175, and a third motion C as camfollower 202 moves along second portion 179.

For the cam plate 162 of FIG. 9, once the cam follower 202 releases fromthe detent 230, the cam follower 202 will follow along either of thegenerally arcuate portions 183. The shape and configuration of cam path170 may determine the rate and distance that trolley 132 moves inresponse to relative rotation between the towing vehicle 108 and thetowed vehicle. This relation may result in the towed vehicle movingbackward at greater distance and/or at a greater rate than the prior artsystems. The arcuate configuration of path 183 may result in acontinuously varying rate of movement and distance traveled by trolley132 as a function of the change in the pivot angle. The movement of thetrolley 132 as a function of the change in the pivot angle as camfollower 202 moves along arcuate path 183 may be represented by thegraph of FIG. 12. As shown, trolley 132 may undergo a first motion A ascam follower 202 moves out of detent section 230 and a second motion Bas cam follower 202 moves along arcuate portion 183. As can be seen insecond motion B, trolley 132 moves a shorter distance and at a slowerrate as the pivot angle increases. That is, as the cam follower 202moves along the arcuate path 183 toward the end portion 187, therelation between the distance traveled and the rate of travel inresponse to a change of the pivot angle changes.

For the cam plate 162 of FIG. 10, once the cam follower 202 releasesfrom the detent 230, the cam follower 202 will follow along either ofthe generally arcuate portions 191. The shape and configuration of campath 170 may determine the rate and distance that trolley 132 moves inresponse to relative rotation between the towing vehicle 108 and thetowed vehicle. This relation may result in the towed vehicle movingbackward at greater distance and/or at a greater rate than the prior artsystems. The arcuate configuration of path 191 may result in acontinuously varying rate of movement and distance traveled by trolley132 as a function of the change in the pivot angle. The movement of thetrolley 132 as a function of the change in the pivot angle as camfollower 202 moves along arcuate path 191 may be represented by thegraph of FIG. 13. As shown, trolley 132 may undergo a first motion A ascam follower 202 moves out of detent section 230 and a second motion Bas cam follower 202 moves along arcuate portion 191. As can be seen insecond motion B, trolley 132 moves a greater distance and at a greaterrate as the pivot angle increases. That is, as the cam follower 202moves along the arcuate path 191 toward the end portion 1195, therelation between the distance traveled and the rate of travel inresponse to a change of the pivot angle changes.

As the towing vehicle 108 straightens out and returns from a turningposition to a straight ahead position (aligned with the towed vehicle)the change in the pivot angle will move cam follower 202 forward alongthe cam path 170 toward detent 230. The fifth wheel head 136, pivotshaft 140 and cam follower 202 will all pivot back towards astraightened position and trolley 132 will move forward. Once the towingvehicle 108 straightens out a sufficient distance, the cam follower 202may engage the detent 230 of the cam plate 162.

Additional embodiments of an automatic rolling fifth wheel hitchaccording the present teachings are described below. In thedescriptions, all of the details and components may not be fullydescribed or shown. Rather, the features or components are describedand, in some instances, differences with the above-described embodimentsmay be pointed out. Moreover, it should be appreciated that theseadditional embodiments may include elements or components utilized inthe above-described embodiments although not shown or described. Thus,the descriptions of these additional embodiments are merely exemplaryand not all-inclusive nor exclusive. Moreover, it should be appreciatedthat the features, components, elements and functionalities of thevarious embodiments may be combined or altered to achieve a desiredautomatic rolling fifth wheel hitch without departing from the spiritand scope of the present teachings.

An automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 300 is shown in FIGS. 14 through16. The automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 300 may attach to a load bed104 of a towing vehicle 108 in any appropriate manner. The automaticrolling fifth wheel hitch 300 may include a base frame 320 selectivelysecured to the rail members 112. The base frame 320 may include at leastone bracket 324, including, without limitation two pairs of brackets 324attached thereto. The brackets 324 may attach with the rail members 112through the use of fasteners (not shown).

The automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 300 may include a trolley 332operatively engaged with the base frame 320 as described in more detailbelow. The automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 300 may further include afifth wheel head 336 pivotally attached with the trolley 332. The fifthwheel head 336 may be of any appropriate configuration such that a kingpin of a towed vehicle may operatively engage with the fifth wheel head336 resulting in the towing vehicle 108 being capable of towing thetowed vehicle.

The fifth wheel head 336 may be pivotally attached with the trolley 332through use of a pivot shaft 340. The fifth wheel head 336 may beattached with the pivot shaft 340 in any appropriate manner. By way of anon-limiting example, the fifth wheel head 336 may be attached with thepivot shaft 340 through the use of fasteners, welding, or the like. Thefifth wheel head 336 attached with the pivot shaft 340 may result in thefifth wheel head 336 being pivotable with respect to the base frame 320.The pivoting of the fifth wheel head 336 may allow the towed vehicle topivot with respect to the towing vehicle 108 during operation.Therefore, as the towing vehicle 108 turns, the fifth wheel head 336 maypivot independently of the towing vehicle 108. This may permit the towedvehicle to turn more efficiently and effectively.

The trolley 332 may be shaped and sized to generally extend with thebase frame 320 and may include a portion of which that extends within achannel 358 of the base frame 320. More specifically, the trolley 332may include a body 374 that may be shaped and sized to extend betweenthe base frame 320. The trolley 332 may include a plurality of rollersor wheels 378 rotatably attached to the body 374 in any appropriatemanner. By way of a non-limiting example, four rollers 378 may beused—although any appropriate number of rollers may be used withoutdeparting from the present teachings.

The rollers 378 may be shaped and sized to operatively roll along thechannels 358 of the base frame 320. The rollers 378 may be formed from agenerally rigid material that has an effective coefficient of frictionsuch that the rollers 378 may roll along the channel 358 generallyfreely. Further, the rollers 378 may be of a material that generallyprevents inappropriate wear during use of the automatic rolling fifthwheel hitch 300 and is able to carry the load of the automatic rollingfifth wheel hitch 300 during operation.

The automatic rolling firth wheel hitch 300 may include a plate member381 attached with the base frame 320 in any appropriate manner,including, without limitation through welding, fastening or the like.Further, a linkage 385 may be operatively secured with the fifth wheelhead 336 through the pivot shaft 340 and the plate member 381. As shownin FIGS. 14 and 15, the linkage 385 may include a first arm 387 fixedlyattached with the pivot shaft 340 and fifth wheel head 336. By way of anon-limiting example, the first arm 387 may be fixedly attached with thepivot shaft 340 such as through the use of a plurality of fasteners 389.The first arm 387, however, may be fixedly attached with the pivot shaft340 and fifth wheel head 336 in any appropriate manner and is notlimited to the fasteners 389 shown. First arm 387 may act as a bellcrank.

The linkage 385 may further include a second arm 391. The second arm 391may be pivotally attached between the first arm 387 and the plate member381. By way of a non-limiting example, the second arm 391 may bepivotally attached with the first arm 387 at pivot 393, such as throughuse of a fastener 395. Any appropriate fastener 395 may be used withoutdeparting from the present teachings. The second arm 391 may also bepivotally attached with the plate member 381 at a second pivot 397, suchas through use of a fastener 399. Any appropriate fastener 397 may beused without departing from the present teachings. In some embodiments,the fastener 395 may be substantially similar to the fastener 399 orthey may be different.

In operation, when the towing and towed vehicles are generally aligned,the first and second arms 389, 391 of the linkage 385 may remaingenerally aligned. As the towing vehicle pivots with respect to thetowed vehicle, the fifth wheel head 336 may pivot, which may pivot thepivot shaft 340 and the first arm 387. As the first arm 387 pivots, thismay cause the first arm 387 and second arm to pivot at pivot point 393.The pivoting of the linkage 385, or more specifically, the first arm 387relative to the second arm 391, may cause the trolley 332 to bedisplaced rearward toward the rear of the towing vehicle, i.e., themomentum causes the rearward movement of the trolley 332. Further, thesecond arm 391 may pivot with respect to the plate member 381 at pivot397. This motion of the trolley 332 may move the attachment point of thetowed vehicle with the towing vehicle rearward. This may create agreater clearance between the towed vehicle and towing vehicle.Specifically, it may create more space between the cab of the towingvehicle and the towed vehicle.

Once the towing and towed vehicles have completed the turn and begin tostraighten, the momentum of such may force the trolley 332 forward. Thismay cause the linkage 385 to straighten, i.e., the first arm 387 andsecond arm pivot 391 until they are generally aligned. This may move thetowed vehicle in closer proximity to the towing vehicle's cab returningthe automatic rolling fifth wheel hitch 300 to its normal operatingposition.

Additionally, as would be apparent to those of skill in the art, thelatching system of the present disclosure can be utilized in connectionwith any number of fifth wheel hitch designs including, but not limitedto, those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,849,738 (the complete disclosureof which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), aswell as any other fifth wheel hitch that utilizes at least one frameand/or set of rails that permits both mounting of a fifth wheel hitchinto a desired vehicle and motion/movement of the fifth wheel hitch inat least one plane of motion.

Turning to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a fifth wheel hitch500 is illustrated in FIG. 17, where fifth wheel hitch 500 comprises atleast two mounting brackets (or mounting rails) 502 and 504 that arepositioned in a substantially parallel relationship to one another, anda frame 506, where the frame is operatively coupled to the top surfacesof at least two mounting brackets (or mounting rails) 502 and 504. Theat least two mounting brackets (or mounting rails) 502 and 504 aredesigned to permit fifth wheel hitch 500 to be secured to a desiredtowing vehicle (e.g., the bed of a truck, etc.). It should be noted thatreference to the Figures is made from the vantage point labeled “A” inFIG. 17 in order to determine the left, right, front and back sides offifth wheel hitch 500. The front side of fifth wheel hitch 500 is theside immediately in front of “A” in FIG. 17, while the remainder of theleft, right and back sides are evident once the front side has beenestablished as detailed above.

As can be seen in FIG. 17, frame 506 is comprised of at least twolocator rails 508 and 510 that may be located on the opposite sides offrame 506 so that the at least two locator rails 508 and 510 arepositioned above and generally perpendicularly to mounting rails 502 and504. Frame 506 further comprises at least two locking and/or latchingrails 512 and 514 that, in one embodiment, are located outside of eachof the at least two locator rails 508 and 510. Finally, the at least twolocator rails 508 and 510 and the at least two locking and/or latchingrails 512 and 514 are secured together to form frame 506 by end beams516 and 518. Elements 508, 510, 512, 514, 516 and 518 together areoperatively secured to one another by any suitable method (e.g.,screws/bolts, rivets, welding, etc.) so as to form a generally squareshaped frame 506 that is capable of receiving a fifth wheel head 520that is mounted on a center section pivoting box 522, where the pivotingbox 522 is fasten to a carriage configured to move relative to the frame506. The carriage may include sliding towers 558 and 560. In anembodiment, sliding towers 558 and 560 may be configured to movehorizontally relative to the locator rails 508, 510. The sliding towers558 and 560 may also be configured to provide vertical height adjustmentto allow for a user to fit the present teaching's fifth wheel hitch toany number of truck/trailer combinations, etc. Further still, the heightof the fifth wheel head 520 may be vertically adjustable in any othermanner, including, without limitation, by adjusting the attachmentbetween the fifth wheel head 520 to a saddle or base, including a towerunder the fifth wheel head 520 that is positionable relative to thesaddle or base of the fifth wheel hitch, or by adjusting the verticalheight of the saddle or base relative to the sliding towers 558 and 560.Alternatively, end beams 516 and 518 can be replaced by a sub-frame 524that is generally rectangular and/or square in shape and is designed topermit the mounting of at least two locator rails 508 and 510 and atleast two locking and/or latching rails 512 and 514 thereto (See FIG.17). The frame 506 may also include a plurality of engagement membersconfigured to be selectively engaged with “pucks” or receiving memberspositioned along a bed of a vehicle.

As can be seen from FIGS. 17 through 23, sliding towers 558 and 560 areable to move forward and backward on the at least two locator rails 508and 510 and further comprises at least one sets of two latch fingers 526a and 526 b located on either side of locator rail 508 and at least oneother set of two latch fingers 528 a and 528 b located on either side oflocator rail 510. In one embodiment, latch fingers 526 a, 526 b, 528 aand 528 b are designed to hold sliding towers 558 and 560 in positionwith regard to forward and backward movement relative to frame 506 onthe at least two locator rails 508 and 510.

In another embodiment, latch fingers 526 a, 526 b, 528 a and 528 b aredesigned to hold sliding towers 558 and 560 in position with regard tomovement forward and backward to frame 506 on the at least two locatorrails 508 and 510, as well as enabling sliding towers 558 and 560 to beheld in a desired vertical based on movement up and down relative toframe 506. In this embodiment, latches 526 a, 526 b, 528 a and 528 b arecurved and/or arced and pivot in a arcing fashion to permit control ofsliding towers 558 and 560 in the two planes of motion (vertical andhorizontal) as discussed above.

As can be seen from FIGS. 17 and 23, latch fingers 526 a, 526 b, 528 aand 528 b are mounted on and in communication with each other due tospring loaded latch finger control bar 530. Each end of latch fingercontrol bar 530 is mounted in a suitable fashion to at least one pointof frame 506 so that sliding towers 558 and 560 can move forward andback on two locator rails 508 and 510 without interfering with theoperation and connectivity of latch finger control bar 530.

Additionally, as is illustrated in FIGS. 17 through 23, center sectionpivoting box 522 has one pair of forward latch finger receptacles 532 aand 532 b located on either side of locator rail 508 where such forwardlatch finger receptacles 532 a and 532 b are designed to receive latchfingers 526 a and 526 b, respectively, when latch fingers 526 a and 526b are in a locked position in conjunction with sliding towers 558 and560 being in a forward locking position. As is illustrated further inFIGS. 17 through 22, sliding towers 558 and 560 has one pair of forwardlatch finger receptacles 534 a and 534 b (534 b is not shown) located oneither side of locator rail 510 where such forward latch fingerreceptacles 534 a and 534 b are designed to receive latch fingers 528 aand 528 b, respectively, when latch fingers 528 a and 528 b are in alocked position in conjunction with sliding towers 558 and 560 being ina forward locking position. The term forward is used to describe latchfinger receptacles 532 a, 532 b, 534 a and 534 b as these latch fingerreceptacles are in front of the hitch slot 536 of fifth wheel head 520and positions head 520 closest to a cab (although in other embodiments,the forward position may result in the head 520 being furthest from thecab). The term forward locking position is used to describe the locationof sliding towers 558 and 560 when it is positioned such that latchfingers 526 a, 526 b, 528 a and 528 b are aligned to latch/lock withlatch finger receptacles 532 a, 532 b, 534 a and 534 b.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 17 through 23, sliding towers 558 and 560have one pair of back latch finger receptacles 538 a and 538 b locatedon either side of locator rail 508 where such back latch fingerreceptacles 538 a and 538 b are designed to receive latch fingers 526 aand 526 b, respectively, when latch fingers 526 a and 526 b are in alocked position in conjunction with sliding towers 558 and 560 being ina backward locking position. As is illustrated further in FIGS. 17through 23, sliding towers 558 and 560 has one pair of back latch fingerreceptacles 540 a and 540 b (540 b is not shown) located on either sideof locator rail 510 where such back latch finger receptacles 540 a and540 b are designed to receive latch fingers 528 a and 528 b,respectively, when latch fingers 528 a and 528 b are in a lockedposition in conjunction with sliding towers 558 and 560 being in abackward locking position. The term back is used to describe latchfinger receptacles 538 a, 538 b, 540 a and 540 b as these latch fingerreceptacles are behind hitch slot 536 of fifth wheel head 520. The termbackward locking position is used to describe the location of slidingtowers 558 and 560 when it is positioned such that latch fingers 526 a,526 b, 528 a and 528 b are aligned to latch/lock with latch fingerreceptacles 538 a, 538 b, 540 a and 540 b and position head 520 farthestfrom a cab (although in some embodiments, the back position may resultin the head 520 being closest to the cab).

As is illustrated in FIGS. 18 through 21, latch finger control bar 530has at least one latch control handle 542 on one side thereof. Inanother embodiment, latch finger control bar 530 is attached to at leastone latch control handle 542. However, more than one latch controlhandle 542 contemplated herein and may be positioned on both or the samesides of locator rails 508, 510 thereof. FIGS. 24 through 27 illustratean additional optional feature of the present disclosure where at leastone latch control handle (or both latch control handles, if there aretwo present or more as applicable) has a safety latch 546 thereon suchthat safety latch 546 permits an additional level of safety when engagedsuch that safety latch 546 creates another item that has to bepositively moved to permit the unlocking and moving of center sectionpivoting box 522. In another embodiment, if fifth wheel hitch 500 hastwo or more latch control handles 542, each latch handle 542 canindependently have associated therewith a safety latch 546. Also in FIG.22, mounting rails 502 and 504 can be replaced in some embodiments by amounting plate 580, where frame 506 and/or locater rails 508 and 510 canbe operatively fixed thereto. In another embodiment, safety latch 546 isvisible to a user and can be color coded (green for locked and red forunlocked—see FIGS. 24 and 25, respectively) to allow a user to determinea position based on the color showing through latch control handle 542'shand hole. FIG. 26 is a close-up illustration of safety latch receivinghole 548 that is designed to permit safety latch 546 to lock into atleast one portion of frame 506. Additionally, as is illustrated in FIG.27 an optional reach handle 550 can be installed on at least one latchcontrol handle 542 via engagement hole 552.

Given the above, FIG. 17 is a side perspective view of a fifth wheelhitch 500 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 18is a cross-section view of one set of latch fingers 528 a, 528 b along aside of the sliding carriage portion of a fifth wheel hitch according toone embodiment of the present disclosure, where the latch fingers areengaged with, or locked into, one set of forward latch receptacles 534a, 534 b, where the latch finger control bar is attached to a biasingmember 570 that may be spring loaded (see FIG. 23) in a direction whichwill force the one or more latch fingers to pivot or otherwise engagewith one or more respective latch receptacles. FIG. 19 is across-section view of one set of latch fingers 528 a, 528 b along a sideof the sliding carriage portion of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure, where the latch fingers aredisengaged from, or unlocked from, one set of forward latch receptacles534 a, 534 b and prevented from re-engaging with one or more respectivelatch receptacles via a hold down or latch finger retaining spring 554(see FIGS. 19 and 21), where the latch finger control bar 530 is springloaded (see FIG. 23) in a direction which will force the one or morelatch fingers to engage with one or more respective latch receptacles.In another embodiment, retaining spring 554 can be designed to hold oneor more of the latch fingers in a down and out of way position such thatcenter section pivoting box 522 is free to move. In still anotherembodiment, retaining spring 554 is configured to be manually disengagedsuch that the one or more latch fingers are free to disengage from theirone or more respective latch receptacles. The retaining spring 554provides a release if the center section pivoting box 522 is not in theappropriate locking or engaging position relative to the sliding towers558 and 560. In such embodiments, the retaining spring 554, or morespecifically, actuation of the retaining spring 554, may releaseengagement of the latch fingers 526 a, 526 b, 528 a and 528 b asapplicable. This may make engagement and positioning of the centersection pivoting box 522 easier. If there are any issues (e.g.,positioning, engaging the wrong portion, or the like) actuation of theretaining spring 554 may allow release engagement of the latch fingers526 a, 526 b, 528 a and 528 b as applicable. The retaining spring 554may allow manual release of the latching mechanism.

In an embodiment, retaining spring 554 may include a generallycontinuous piece of spring steal having a spring portion 602, anengagement surface 604, and a depressible portion 606. The springportion 602 may provide a bias force to the engagement surface 604 toposition the engagement surface 604 towards the respective latch finger.The engagement surface 604 may selectively abut against an end of thelatch finger in the locked position to prevent the latch finger frombeing pivoted towards the respective forward or back finger receptacles.The depressible portion 606 may be manually depressed by a user todisengage the engagement surface 604 from the edge of a respective latchfinger to allow the latch finger to be pivoted or otherwise engage withthe respective forward or back finger receptacles.

Additionally, FIG. 20 is a cross-section view of one set of latchfingers one side of the sliding carriage portion of a fifth wheel hitchaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where the latchfingers are disengaged from, or unlocked from, one set of forward latchreceptacles and where sliding towers have been moved slight forward onits locator rails. A protrusion 608 may be positioned along a surface ofthe sliding tower 560 and may be configured to disengage retainingspring 554 and permits one or more latch fingers to auto engage with oneor more respective latch receptacles each latch finger encounters, wherethe latch finger control bar is spring loaded (see reference numeral 570in FIG. 23) in a direction which may force the one or more latch fingersto engage with one or more respective latch receptacles. The protrusion608 may disengage the retaining spring 554 as the sliding towers 558,560 are moved along the locator rails 508, 510 relative to the latchcontrol handle 542 or spring loaded latch finger control bar 530. Assuch, a surface of the retaining spring 554 may be depressed by theprotrusion 608 and disengage from the respective latch finger allowingthe latch finger to be pivoted relative to the engagement surface 604and therefor remain in an automatic engagement status while the slidingtowers 558, 560 are moved into a desired place. The latch fingers maythen automatically engage with the respective receptacles once in place.

FIG. 21 is a cross-section view of one set of latch fingers one side ofthe sliding tower portion of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure, where the latch fingers areengaged with, or locked into, one set of back latch receptacles, wherethe latch finger control bar is spring loaded (see reference numeral 570in FIG. 23) in a direction which will force the one or more latchfingers to engage with one or more respective latch receptacles; andFIG. 22 is a front perspective view of a fifth wheel hitch according toone embodiment of the present disclosure illustrating a fifth wheelslider hitch where such a hitch is engaged into a “puck” attachment of atruck (or other suitable vehicle). Here the puck attachment may belocated within the mounting plate 580 that may be a part of a vehicle ormay be provided with the fifth wheel hitch assembly 500.

Also, FIG. 23 is a side view of a fifth wheel hitch according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 24 is a close-up illustrationof a safety latch on a latch control handle of the present disclosure,where the safety latch 546 is in the closed position. FIG. 25 is aclose-up illustration of the safety latch 546 on a latch control handle542 of the present disclosure, where the safety latch 546 is in the openposition. FIG. 26 is a close-up illustration of the safety latch 546 onthe latch control handle 542 of the present disclosure, where the safetylatch 546 is in the open position and the latch handle 542 is in the upunlatched position. FIG. 27 is a close-up illustration of an optionalreach handle 550 that is designed for tall sided trucks and/or shortpeople so that this design can permit an individual to easily unlatchthe latch handle 542.

In light of the above, the present disclosure has one or more advantagesover other fifth wheel hitches including, but not limited to, one ormore of the following. In one instance, the one or more latch fingersand receptacles may be placed along an exterior surface of the slidingtowers or carriage. This configuration allows the fingers and theirrespective engagement or disengagement relative to the receptacles to bevisible to a user instead of being covered up. Since the one or morelatch fingers, or one or more sets of latch fingers, are visible to theuser this permits a user to ascertain the ultimate location of the latchfingers and achieves a positive indicator of whether or not centersection pivoting box 522 is latched. Another feature of the presentdisclosure is that the latch fingers not only hold the sliding carriagefrom moving forward and backwards along a first plane, but also hold thesliding carriage from moving vertically (upwards or downwards) due totheir curved or arched shape and rotating movement action. In at leastone embodiment of the present disclosure, there are four latch fingersfor sufficient structural rigidity and visual sight from either side ofthe vehicle in which the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosure isinstalled. In another embodiment, the at least one latch control handleis further equipped with a pin hole to lock the mechanism.

In another embodiment, the latching mechanism of the present disclosurefurther includes a hold down or latch finger retaining spring 554 (withthe depressible portion 606 or tab to permit the manual release of alatch finger, or set of latch fingers, if needed. Further, the locatorrails 508 and 510 may have a robust structure and may have a rounded anelongated configuration with an outer diameter of at least 2 inches, atleast 2.5 inches, or even 2.75 inches or more to allow for less flexingof and more stiffness in locator rails 508 and 510.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure uses thermal flow drill andthermal flow tap to produce the fastening and pivoting features in thetube locator rails 508 and 510. In such embodiments (such as shown inFIG. 21), the tube locator rails 508 and 510 may comprise apertures,which may either be tapped or not tapped. Fasteners may be inserted intoand through those apertures. In those apertures in which are tapped, thefastener may be threaded therein. For those apertures that are nottapped, the fastener may be inserted or a mechanical piece may beinserted in an operative manner. The thermal flow drill or thermal flowtap may produce the apertures with or without the aperture in a singlemanufacturing process. The mounting rails 502 and 504 are bolted on tohelp with stability and packaging of the fifth wheel hitch into asmaller carton. The fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosure has, inone embodiment, different hole locations on its base and/or mountingrails 502 and 504 may be provided so that the hitch 500 is able to fitabove bed rails, or various puck locations located within the vehiclebeds of certain manufacturers or others as needed.

Latch control handle 542 has a secondary safety latch 548 that engagesan exterior rail panel 610 providing another level of confidence to auser (see FIGS. 25 and 26). This secondary safety latch 548 may beactivated while the unlatching handle 546 is lifted (see FIG. 24). Inanother instance, a hole 552 is provided for a lock to secure thesecondary safety latch 548 into position (see FIG. 26) along theexterior rail panel 610.

Optional handle 550 may be provided for added mechanical advantagedesigned for tall sided trucks or short people to easily unlatch thehandle 542. This provides extra reach and a mechanical advantage tolower the force required. This is also sized so that a user can use atypical ½″ ratchet with a ½″ extension to perform the same function (seeFIG. 26).

Finally, the present disclosure may utilize one or more threaded eyebolt 562, threaded nut and/or retaining washer 564 and knob 566 incombination so that a user is able to tighten frame 506 relative tomounting rails 502 and 504 in order to provide a tight joint betweenframe 506 and above mounting rails 502 and 504. This reduces rattleand/or movement of center section pivoting box 522 through the use ofcompressive forces. In another embodiment, a tension set-up could beused in place of one or more combinations of threaded eye bolt 562,threaded nut and/or retaining washer 564 and knob 566 to achieve thedesired anti-rattle aims discussed above.

In light of the above, the present disclosure comprises a fifth wheelhitch that, in one embodiment, an actual latching mechanism that isvisible while other fifth wheel hitches to date are not visible onothers; and/or a fifth wheel hitch that comprises an unlatch handle thathas a secondary closed retainer where while other fifth wheel hitches todate have no secondary closed retainer (i.e., a one-piece handle with noplace to lock it in position); and/or a fifth wheel hitch that comprisesan anti-rattle attachment that is infinitely adjustable versus prior artfifth wheel hitches that utilize shims or have no adjustment feature.Finally, the fifth wheel hitch of the present disclosure can optionallyinclude an additional long handle whereas to date available fifth wheelhitches have not had such an option and to date a user using such priorart fifth wheel hitches must stretch or apply a large force to unlatchthem on a dually (e.g., an F-350 or 3500) pickup.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustratedin the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detaileddescription, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is notto be limited to just the embodiments disclosed, but that the disclosuredescribed herein is capable of numerous rearrangements, modificationsand substitutions without departing from the scope of the claimshereafter. The claims as follows are intended to include allmodifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope ofthe claims or the equivalent thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fifth wheel hitch assembly comprising: a fifthwheel head configured to engage a towing vehicle; a carriage memberattached to said fifth wheel head; a frame configured to be attached toa towing vehicle, said frame including at least one locating railwherein said carriage is moveable along the locating rail; and alatching system positioned along the frame that is configured torestrict the movement of the carriage relative to the frame.
 2. Thefifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein said carriage includes afirst sliding tower spaced from a second sliding tower and said frameincludes a first locator rail spaced from and generally perpendicular toa second locator rail wherein said first sliding tower is movablyattached to the first locating rail and the second sliding tower ismovably attached to said second locator rail.
 3. The fifth wheel hitchassembly of claim 1 wherein the latching system further comprises atleast one latching finger configured to be selectively engaged with atleast one receptacle positioned along the carriage member, wherein thelatching system is in a locked positioned when the latching finger isengaged to the receptacle and is in an unlocked position when thelatching finger is not engaged to the receptacle, wherein movement ofthe carriage member relative to the frame is restricted along at least afirst plane of motion when the latching system is in the lockedposition.
 4. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 3 wherein the atleast one receptacle is located along an exposed surface of the carriagemember to allow a user to view said latching finger in the lockedposition.
 5. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 3 wherein thelatching system further comprises a plurality of latch fingerspositioned along a control bar.
 6. The fifth wheel hitch assembly ofclaim 5, wherein the plurality of latch fingers positioned along thecontrol bar includes a first latch finger and a second latch fingerpositioned along either side of said locator rail and a third latchfinger and a fourth latch finger positioned along either side of asecond locator rail spaced from said locator rail.
 7. The fifth wheelhitch assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one latch finger isshaped as an arched configuration and the at least one receptacleincludes a generally complementary shape to the at least one latchfinger.
 8. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 3 further comprisinga latch control handle attached to a control bar configured to pivot thecontrol bar and the at least one latch finger relative to the at leastone receptacle positioned along the carriage member.
 9. The fifth wheelhitch assembly of claim 8, wherein the latching handle comprises asecondary lockable safety mechanism.
 10. The fifth wheel hitch assemblyof claim 1, wherein the latching system is configured to restrict themovement of the carriage relative to the frame in at least two planes ofmotion.
 11. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 8, furthercomprising an extension handle configured to be attached to and extendfrom the latch control handle to allow a user to pivot the control barfrom the extension handle.
 12. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim1, wherein the frame further comprises at least one set of a threadedeye bolt and nut configured to facilitate structural attachment to atleast one rail positioned along a vehicle wherein the set of saidthreaded eye bolt and said nut are configured to prevent rattle,movement and/or noise from a fifth wheel hitch.
 13. The fifth wheelhitch assembly of claim 8, wherein the control bar is attached to abiasing member and is configured to be spring loaded in a directionwhich will force the at least one latch fingers to pivot towards orotherwise engage with the at least one latch receptacle.
 14. The fifthwheel hitch assembly of claim 13, further comprising a retaining springconfigured to selectively engage the at least one latching finger toprevent said at least one latching finger from re-engaging with one ormore receptacles such that the carriage member is free to move relativeto the frame when the retaining spring is engaged to the at least onelatching finger.
 15. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 14, whereinsaid retaining spring comprises a spring portion, an engagement surface,and an depressible portion wherein the spring portion is configured toprovide a bias force to position the engagement surface 604 towards thelatch finger; wherein the engagement surface is configured toselectively abut against an end of the latch finger to prevent the latchfinger from pivoting towards the respective receptacle; and wherein thedepressible portion is configured to be manually depressed by a user todisengage the engagement surface from the end of a latch finger to allowthe latch finger to be pivoted or otherwise engage with the respectivereceptacle.
 16. A fifth wheel hitch assembly comprising: a fifth wheelhead configured to engage a towing vehicle; a carriage member attachedto said fifth wheel head; a frame configured to be attached to a towingvehicle, said frame including at least one locating rail wherein saidcarriage is moveable along the locating rail; and a latching systempositioned along the frame that is configured to restrict the movementof the carriage relative to the frame, said latching system comprising:at least one latching finger configured to be selectively engaged withat least one receptacle positioned along the carriage member, a controlbar configured to pivot the at least one latching finger to selectivelyengage the at least one receptacle; a latch control handle attached tosaid control bar configured to pivot the control bar and the at leastone latch finger relative to the at least one receptacle; wherein thelatching system is in a locked positioned when the latching finger isengaged to the receptacle and is in an unlocked position when thelatching finger is not engaged to the receptacle, wherein movement ofthe carriage member relative to the frame is restricted along at least afirst plane of motion when the latching system is in the lockedposition.
 17. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 16 wherein the atleast one receptacle is located along an exposed surface of the carriagemember to allow a user to view said latching finger in the lockedposition.
 18. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 16, wherein the atleast one latch finger is shaped as an arched configuration and the atleast one receptacle includes a generally complementary shape as the atleast one latch finger.
 19. The fifth wheel hitch assembly of claim 16,further comprising an extension handle configured to be attached to andextend from the latch control handle to allow a user to pivot thecontrol bar from the extension handle.
 20. The fifth wheel hitchassembly of claim 16, wherein the control bar is attached to a biasingmember and is configured to be spring loaded in a direction which willforce the at least one latch fingers to pivot towards or otherwiseengage with the at least one latch receptacle; and a retaining springconfigured to selectively prevent the at least one latching finger fromre-engaging with the at least one receptacle.